JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — Michael Rusk, the former James City County Police officer who shot his superior officer outside of a bar in Williamsburg in January 2023, has filed a lawsuit against the department, alleging they violated his civil rights by not ensuring the workplace was free from sexual harassment and discrimination.
The shooting occurred on the 700 block of Scotland Street in Williamsburg and left then-38-year-old Sgt. Christopher Gibson with critical injuries.
10 On Your Side previously reported that Rusk told the 911 dispatcher he called during the incident that he believed Gibson was going to rape him. The lawsuit alleges that Rusk was subjected to unwanted sexual advances and behavior by Gibson for two years.
“Starting late December 2021 to January 2023, Gibson increasingly made unwelcome sexual advances and harassed Mr. Rusk, his subordinate, both on-duty and off-duty,” it reads. “Gibson’s unwanted, inappropriate conduct included: hand holding, touching, slapping Mr. Rusk’s posterior, stalking, grooming, sexual comments/suggestions, and other forms of sexual harassment and assault.”
Rusk claims in the suit that he attempted to notify his next-in-line supervisor, Lt. Gregory White, of Rusk’s behavior on multiple occasions. The department, however, failed to do anything about it.
“Instead, the Defendants because of Mr. Rusk’s sex, allowed him to be placed in jail for over 20 days, placed him on unpaid leave, and eventually terminated his employment,” the lawsuit states.
Rusk is suing for $5.5 million in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive damages.
This suit is separate from a criminal case against Rusk, who faces a jury trial starting Sept. 10 in Williamsburg/James City County Circuit Court on charges of malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection to the shooting of Gibson.